VW supports more IT research at Stanford University

VW does research on projects such as the “mobility companion” at its California electronics lab (Photo: VW)

The Volkswagen Group is making an additional 1.7 million dlrs available to Stanford University to explore new areas of automotive innovation.

The grant marks a continuation of the cooperation between the German carmaker and the California-based university.

VW said new research will begin at Stanford in the areas of virtual intelligence, new materials, data security and vehicle dynamics. Stanford will also use the funds to launch programs aimed at educating computer science and electromechanical design engineers.

The cooperation between VW and Stanford will pave the way for “next-generation solutions that will transform the vehicles of tomorrow,â€ said Peter Oel, executive director of VW’s Electronics Research Laboratory, which was established in 1998.

In 2009, VW made an initial investment of 5.75 million dlrs to establish the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory (VAIL)